Examiners Report June 2009

Transcription

1 Examiners Report June 2009 LEVEL GCE Helping you to raise attainment Edexcel Limited. Registered in England and Wales No Registered Office: One90 High Holborn, London WC1V 7BH

2 Edexcel is one of the leading examining and awarding bodies in the UK and throughout the world. We provide a wide range of qualifications including academic, vocational, occupational and specific programmes for employers. Through a network of UK and overseas offices, Edexcel s centres receive the support they need to help them deliver their education and training programmes to learners. For further information, please call our GCE line on , our GCSE team on , or visit our website at If you have any subject specific questions about the content of this Examiners Report that require the help of a subject specialist, you may find our Ask The Expert service helpful. Ask The Expert can be accessed online at the following link: Alternately, you can speak directly to a subject specialist at Edexcel on our dedicated History telephone line: ResultsPlus is our unique performance improvement service for you and your students. It helps you to: Raise attainment - by providing in-depth analysis of where your class did well and not so well, enabling you to identify areas to focus on/make improvements. Spot performance trends at a glance by accessing one-click reports. You can even choose to compare your cohort s performance against other schools throughout the UK. Personalise your students learning by reviewing how each student performed, by question and paper you can use the detailed analysis to shape future learning. Meet the needs of your students on results day by having immediate visibility of their exam performance at your fingertips to advise on results. To find out more about ResultsPlus and for a demonstration visit June 2009 Publications Code US All the material in this publication is copyright Edexcel Ltd 2009

3 Contents 1 Contents General Comments 2 Option E/F The Expansion and Challenge of Nationalism 5 E1/F1 The Road to Unification Italy, c E2/F2 The Unification of Germany, E3/F3 The Collapse of the Liberal State and the Triumph of Fascism in Italy, E4/F4 Republicanism, Civil War and Francoism in Spain, E5/F5 Germany Divided and Reunited, E6/F6 The Middle East, : The State of Israel and Arab Nationalism 35 F7 From Second Reich to Third Reich: Germany, Grade Boundaries 47

4 2 6HI01 - General Comments Centres are to be warmly commended on the good preparation of their candidates for the examination. The range of knowledge deployed was quite substantial overall, and most attempted an analytical approach to the question. Answers were in the main relevant and substantial, particularly in relation to the time allowed. The main problems occurred when candidates did not read the question correctly or ignored or misunderstood the set timescale. The quality of written communication was generally good across the whole range of scripts. Most answers were organised into coherent paragraphs and candidates made a real attempt to shape their answers into a balanced argument. Key marker words and phrases, such as however and on the other hand were regularly used in answer to those questions which invited a comparison. In most cases candidates did attempt a conclusion to their answers, though these were sometimes not very explicit. It was also encouraging to see many students jotting down some sort of plan before beginning their answer. Sometimes, however, these were very detailed indeed and covered two sides of the booklet; on occasions extensive planning seems to have worked to the detriment of the second answer. Analysis was implicit in many cases. Candidates need to make sure that the points they are making are supported with sufficient historical knowledge to make the points stand up. There is a case for centres providing more guidance on the difference between choosing relevant examples and generalising. Above all, evidence has to be focused on the question, which means explaining the significance of the examples used. Although most candidates knowledge was broadly accurate and relevant, there were many, even those who showed evidence of a sophisticated argument, who lapsed into tracts of descriptive free-standing material. In many answers, however, there were examples of very significant inaccuracies. In A12, some believed that Richard III came to the throne after defeating Edward IV in battle, while many in A13 and A14 were convinced that, since Henry Tudor had spent much of his life abroad, he was a foreigner. Several answers to D6 believed that Nicholas II was a leading opponent of the Bolshevik government, while others enrolled Martin Luther King as a member of Black Power. Some candidates in F7 were of the firm belief that the Wall St Crash occurred in 1924, and that hyper-inflation continued through the whole period of Several answers were weakened by candidates uncertainty as to the meaning of words and phrases in the question. In particular, there was a lack of understanding of key words and concepts commonly used by historians, such as economic, social and political. Many were unsure about the economy of midfourteenth century England in A7, social change in D4, personal dictatorship in D8, and power and prestige in D14. There were a small but significant number of candidates in E/F2 who failed to understand the concept of Bismarck s diplomacy, referring to his ability to be tactful with other politicians or his inability to maintain a calm situation. Many candidates had been well trained to consider a range of relevant factors which contributed to a situation or outcome. It has been very pleasing to see that most candidates were able to access Level 3 which requires some attempt at analysis. However, there were several questions where such an approach was inappropriate and where considering other factors proved counter-productive. Question A14 required a focus on the significance of Spain and Scotland in strengthening Henry VII s security. Some answers dealt with these two factors, only to consider others, such as relations with Burgundy, tackling noble power and improving royal finances. Question D10 asked candidates to consider the extent to which Black Power hindered Black civil rights in the 1960s. Again, the significance of Black Power was considered, but other points were also mentioned, such as King s failures in the north and the growing alienation of white people and successive presidents. The relevance of these points was marginal. In question E/F1 candidates often penalised themselves by writing excessively long answers through assessing the positive and negative influences of the Catholic Church on Italian unity and then producing a list of other factors which hindered Italian unity when only the first part was necessary; this in turn led to less time being spent on the second question.

5 3 In questions where the focus of the question was based on relative importance many good responses were unable to achieve high Level 4 or Level 5 because of a lack of balance with reference to the given and other factors. In the majority of cases this occurred when the candidate dismissed the given factor as being unimportant and produced a list of relevant of other factors without assessing why these factors were more important than the factor given. In question E/F4 candidates often wrote a generalised statement about Republican divisions within the Spanish Civil War before giving a detailed account of the contribution of foreign intervention (which was the question set in January). A smaller number of responses referred exclusively to the given factor with little reference to other causal reasons. One way in which centres might be able to improve candidate performance is to familiarise students with the different types of questions which can be asked in Unit 1. For example: How far do you agree that the Black Power movement hindered Black civil rights in the 1960s? is a question focused entirely on the role of Black Power. However, How far do you agree that the Black Power movement was the most important reason for the failures of the civil rights movement in the 1960s? is a question requiring consideration of a number of different factors, including Black Power. Equally, the following examples require a consideration of several relevant factors: How far was Harald Hardrada s invasion of the north responsible for William of Normandy s success at Hastings? (A3) To what extent were disputes over religion responsible for the Dutch revolts? (B5) To what extent were the weaknesses of their opponents responsible for the survival of the Bolshevik government in the years ? (D6) However, the following examples require a narrower focus on the issue raised in the question: How far did Henry II exercise effective control over his many territories? (A5) To what extent did Luther s challenge to the Catholic Church change in the years ? (B1) How far did the position of Black Americans improve in the years ? (D9) An understanding of chronology is an essential quality for historians to display and this is perhaps the area of most concern in regards to underperformance of candidates. Many seemed unaware that 1489 saw both the Yorkshire rising against Henry VII and the conclusion of the treaty of Medina del Campo (A14); or that 1521 saw the Edict of Worms issued against Luther (B1). However, it was in Options C-F that there were many startling misunderstandings of the given timescale. D3 referred to the years , but too many went on deal with the Cultural Revolution to no effect. A remarkable number failed to notice that D6 addressed the years of the Bolshevik government between 1917 and Candidates appeared to notice weaknesses of their opponents and Bolsheviks, and wrote exclusively on the period of the Provisional Government. For D8 several wrote about Stalin s elimination of his opponents in the years , though the question focused on ; and many answers to D9 went beyond 1955 to consider the outcome of the Montgomery bus boycott and the events at Little Rock in In the E/F Option many candidates failed to take into consideration the time parameters set in E/F1, E/F2, E/F3 and E/F6. There were a significant and worrying number of responses to Question E/F 13 which displayed little understanding of the chronology of events in Weimar Germany in the years There were also many examples of a lack of chronological security when using supporting evidence within paragraph construction. Candidates often gave different supporting examples out of chronological order with no references to dates and so undermining the contextual security of their responses. Candidates should be reminded that they are assessed on their quality of written communication. It is important that as well as writing legibly, with accurate use of spelling, punctuation and grammar, the style

6 4 of writing is appropriate within the context of a history examination. The best responses were those that answered the question set and made direct reference to key words or phrases in the question with clear understanding. For example, in question E/F5 the best candidates were able to address directly the appointment of Mussolini as Prime Minister ; in question C5 the effective operation of slavery ; and in question D7 the essential contribution of collectivisation to Stalin s transformation of the Russian economy. Interestingly there was often little difference between the quality of the first and second answer, particularly with stronger candidates. Most candidates answered the questions in chronological order even if they were less sure of their first response and as a result many of the second answers were stronger than the first. Very few candidates obviously ran out of time and it is commendable that so many candidates were able to apportion appropriate time to each question.

7 5 Option E/F The Expansion and Challenge of Nationalism Option E was a popular option with most of the candidates attempting questions from topics E1, E2 and E3 and a significant number of responses to E4, E5 and E6. Responses were generally well written with a clear analytical framework; however, there was often a disappointing lack of security and accuracy with reference to chronology in particular. Most of the candidates prepared for topics E1 and E2 covering the unifications of Italy and Germany were very knowledgeable, although some needed to select their supporting evidence with more discrimination. It was also pleasing to see so many centres studying the newer AS topics such as post-war Germany, Spain and the Middle East. Option F was a popular question with most of the candidates attempting questions from F3 and F7 with a significant number of responses to F1, F2 and F5. Responses were generally well written with a clear analytical framework; however, there was often a disappointing lack of security and accuracy with reference to chronology in particular. It was also pleasing to see so many centres studying the newer AS topics such as post-war Germany, Spain and the Middle East. E1/F1 The Road to Unification Italy, c Many of the examiners commented on the excellent preparation of candidates by centres for this topic. Good candidates, however, sometimes penalised themselves by failing to address the specific question asked; this prevented some candidates from accessing Level 5 marks Question 1 This question focused on the influence of the Catholic Church on Italian unity and although other factors hindering and/or helping Italian unification may have been pertinent the best answers should have focused on positive and negative contributions of the Catholic Church itself. Candidates were well prepared to discuss the role of the Church in hindering Italian unity but often found it more difficult to suggest positive influences. Weaker answers made generalised references to the reactionary nature of the Church with limited and, often, confused references to Pope Pius IX. However, the majority of answers were clearly able to access high Level 3 and above with clear chronological understanding of the development of Church attitudes over the whole time period. There were some excellent nuanced answers which differentiated between the Church as an organisation and the Pope as ruler and clearly showed the differing responses of Pope Pius IX during the later period. The best answers clearly attempted to evaluate whether the Church significantly hindered Italian unity. Examiner Comments Below is an example of a high Level 4 answer. The response is clearly focused on the question set with direct references to the Church both hindering and helping moves towards Italian unity with specific reference to the role of Pope Pius IX. There is also mention of other influences which may have affected Italian unity such as localism and separatism. The conclusion addresses the nature of the extent to which the Church hindered national unity. The focus on the period from 1848 onwards and Pope Pius creates some imbalance in the answer.

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12 10 Question 2 This question required an assessment of the role of foreign influence and intervention in shaping Italian unification between Weaker responses often failed to address the time limits of the question with extensive reference to events before 1858 and/or failing to cover events up to Many good answers at mid and low Level 4 lacked a balanced discussion of other possible influences that may have shaped the unification process. However, there were many excellent answers with candidates clearly secure in the chronological process and able to discuss the concepts of both influence and intervention with reference to Austria, France, Prussia and Great Britain. Some of the best answers referred specifically to the shape of unification with reference to the geographic creation of Italy comparing the role of foreign powers, Cavour, Piedmont and Garibaldi. Examiner Comments Below is a Level 4 answer which is clearly focused on the question set with direct reference to the influence and intervention of Austria and France showing awareness of the key issues involved. The response suggests other factors which shaped Italian unification including Garibaldi, Cavour and the Church. Paragraphs are explanatory and use adequate supporting evidence but show a lack of specific exemplification and a lack of secure chronology, for example, references to Mazzini.

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16 14 E2/F2 The Unification of Germany, Question 3 This question focused on the changing balance of power between Austria and Prussia between and required an assessment of the importance of the Zollverein in this process. Weaker candidates described the creation of the Zollverein or the changing relationship between Austria and Prussia achieving Level 3 or below. A significant number of candidates also failed to define the Zollverein itself making the assumption that the function of the Zollverein was obvious. Most candidates demonstrated good understanding of what the Zollverein was, although many failed to acknowledge the date parameters of the question; a small but worrying number of candidates made no reference at all to the war of Many candidates were clear on other economic advantages that Prussia possessed and the best were able to support their points with accurate statistical evidence. There was also an awareness of the other factors that tipped the balance of power in favour of Austria, including Austrian weakness and the Prussian military. Examiner Comments Below is a L4 response which is clearly focused on the question and understands the key issues involved but lacks balance and security in the discussion of other factors.

17 15 Examiner Comments Paragraph 1 introduction brief contextual introduction of Zollverein date of 1829 may refer to agreement between Prussia and Hesse with some suggestion that will address the question asked allowing Prussia to take advantage.

18 16 Examiner Comments Paragraph 2/3 shows how the Zollverein led to the economic development of Prussia with adequate supporting evidence but not in specific relation to the time period suggests that although Austria still the political leader Prussia was now economically dominant with potential military power.

19 17 Examiner Comments Paragraph 4/5 links the growth of the Zollverein to Prussian influence and relations with other German states direct link between economic unity and a decrease in Austrian influence.

20 18 Examiner Comments Paragraph 6 suggest that other factors also important. Examiner Comments Paragraph 7 the challenge to Austrian power in Italy diverted Austrian military resources and political attention away from Germany allowing Prussia to take advantage.

21 19 Examiner Comments Paragraph 8/9 refers to Austrian inability to deal with Bismarck s diplomacy but here the selection of material and the obvious lack of time left produces weaker supporting material with little specific reference to the events of Examiner Comments Paragraph 10 conclusion attempts evaluation and shows an integration of factors which is clearly shown in the earlier part of the essay but is less secure in later paragraphs

22 20 Question 4 This question focused on the process of German unification and required an assessment of the importance of Bismarck s diplomacy in this process. Most candidates demonstrated an awareness of the role Bismarck played in the unification process and the best candidates were able to focus their answers on elements of Bismarck s diplomacy with accurate and relevant supporting evidence. Weaker candidates struggled with the use of the word diplomacy especially in terms of Bismarck s engineering of wars and this had a clear impact on the quality of the answers produced; some candidates interpreted diplomacy as Bismarck s tactfulness in dealing with other politicians or countries. Most candidates were able to suggest that Bismarck was aided by a range of favourable circumstances although only the very best candidates attempted to weigh up the relative importance of different factors. Examiner Comments Below is an example of a L3 paragraph. The paragraph attempts analysis and shows some understanding of the issues but shows misunderstanding of the historical term diplomacy.

23 21 E3/F3 The Collapse of the Liberal State and the Triumph of Fascism in Italy, Question 5 This question focused on Mussolini s appointment as Prime Minister in 1922 and required an assessment of the importance of the growth in support for fascism in this appointment. Most candidates were able to access mid to high Level 3 by outlining the reasons for the growth in fascism or Mussolini s rise to power but in many cases candidates lost focus on how this enabled Mussolini to become Prime Minister just asserting that this must have helped him to power. A significant but worrying number of candidates failed to refer to the events of the March on Rome leading to Mussolini s appointment by the king. A few candidates persistently referred to the king as King Emmanuel.The best candidates were able to offer statistical evidence to show the limitations of fascist support and thus lend weight to the fact that other factors were more significant. Most candidates attempted to offer other factors to suggest why Mussolini became Prime Minister although some struggled to differentiate this from the growth in fascist support. Examiner Comments Below is an example of a L3 answer. The response attempts analysis with reference to the growing support for Mussolini and the Fascists using a clear paragraph structure and relevant supporting material. However, the answer does not clearly focus on the question asked with only implicit understanding of Mussolini s appointment as Prime Minister.

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27 25 Examiner Comments The following is an example of two paragraphs from a Level 5 response which clearly address Mussolini s appointment as Prime Minister.

28 26 Question 6 This question focused on extent to which Mussolini s foreign policy during the specific years was a failure. Weaker candidates outlined Mussolini s foreign policy with general comment often omitting key aspects of his policy, in particular, the relationship with Britain and France. Most candidates showed a real awareness of the successes and failures of Mussolini s foreign policy and were able to offer specific examples of policies in support. There were some chronological issues where candidates focused on events outside of the given time frame such as Fiume and Corfu or failed to refer to events up to Many candidates also tried to weigh up the relative nature of success or failure for different events which was impressive although only the very best were able to offer an explicit statement of how far each event was a success or failure, leading to an overall assessment of complete failure.

29 27 E4/F4 Republicanism, Civil War and Francoism in Spain, Question 7 This question focused on the reasons for the Nationalist victory in the Civil War and the extent to which this was due to Republican divisions. Many responses dealt with the divisions on the republican side in very general terms and concentrated on other factors particularly the role of foreign intervention and General Franco. A few candidates confused the topic with the rise of Mussolini and made references to Italy. The best responses were able to address the issue of how far and were able to give detailed explanations of Republican divisions referring to a civil war within a civil war whilst integrating the military, strategic and organisational strength of the Nationalists as well. Question 8 This question focused on the reasons for the length of Franco s rule and required an assessment of the influence of his repressive policies in maintaining his rule. Very few candidates attempted this question, and it was often weakly answered with few achieving above a low Level 4. Some detail on repression in the aftermath of the civil war was covered but few responses were able to cover the whole period. A limited number of candidates were able to provide additional reasons as to why Franco was able to rule until his death, those who did argued his political skill of getting the support of both monarchist factions, as well as the church and army were key. The best answers were able to produce a balanced answer referring to a variety of factors, often suggesting that a combination of repressive policies and economic progress created a semblance of political stability. Examiner Comments Below is an example of a Level 4 answer which is clearly focused on the question and attempts an evaluation of factors responsible for the length of Franco s rule. The key issues are clearly understood but there is a lack of balance in reference to the given factor of repression and over the whole time period whilst the supporting evidence although adequate at times lacks security and clear awareness of chronology.

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36 34 E5/F5 Germany Divided and Reunited, Many candidates answering Q11 used the reference to the weakness of the East German economy to produce a generalised answer which seemed to answer the question set on the economy of both states in January rather than the specific question set for this examination paper. Question 9 This question focused on the partition of Germany in 1949 and the responsibility of currency reform in leading to partition. Most candidates were aware of the events leading to the partition of Germany and were able to give clear overviews of the build up over time from the wartime conferences. However, many were unable to access more than low Level 4 due to a weak understanding of the role of currency reform itself preferring to ignore the given factor in favour of ideological differences. A small number of candidates confused the currency reform of this period with the introduction of the Rentenmark during the Weimar Republic and/or failed to mention the Berlin Blockade. There were also a few candidates who clearly confused the Blockade with the building of the Berlin Wall. The best responses gave a balanced assessment of the importance of currency reform compared with other factors and were able to integrate factors showing the complexity of events. Question 10 This question focused on the responsibility of the weakness of the East German economy for the collapse of communism in East Germany. There were very few strong responses and most candidates failed to address the situation in Most responses gave an overview of the economic situation in Germany from 1945 onwards with very brief references to the political climate and events in the 1980s. The best answers were able to consider the economic weakness of East Germany in relation to the political events occurring in USSR at the time, the nature of the East German regime and the influence of the West.

37 35 E6/F6 The Middle East, : The State of Israel and Arab Nationalism There were a pleasing number of candidates entered for this topic. The specification covers not only the creation of Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflicts but also clearly outlines the need for centres to cover the successes and failure of Arab nationalism and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. In some cases it would appear that candidates were only prepared to answer questions on the first two bullet points of the specification. Also a significant number of candidates did not acknowledge the time frame of questions adequately. Question 11 This question was focused on the reasons for Arab disunity in the years and the importance of religious division in creating this disunity. It was acknowledged during the marking process that candidates may have found difficulty in providing adequate specific supporting evidence regarding religious differences during this time frame, although, some of the best answers were able to suggest that after the 1967 war and the decline of Nasser s influence religious differences played a much greater part in the success or failure of Arab unity. Candidates were therefore rewarded for their assessment of the reasons for Arab disunity.. Many weaker answers provided an overview of the Arab-Israeli conflicts explaining Arab defeats and failing to cover the whole time period. However, many candidates who attempted this question did show good understanding of the religious differences between the different Arab states and many were able to give precise examples to support their points. Candidates were also able to suggest other factors such as self interest and the role of Nasser in causing divisions amongst Arab states. Some candidates focused overly on Israel and why there was conflict over Israel which meant that in places they lost focus on the question set but overall many who attempted this question did attempt to give precise exemplification. Examiner Comments Below are two examples of typical paragraphs in a Level 3/low Level 4 answer. The paragraph shows some understanding of a key issue explaining Arab disunity but the supporting evidence is generalised and lacking in secure detail.

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39 37 Question 12 This question focused on the responsibility of the Palestinian question in influencing the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. Weaker responses gave an narrative outline of events in the Middle East connected to Islamic fundamentalism or ignored the influence of the Palestinian question in favour of other factors such as the reaction to western influences, the failure of secular nationalism and the consequence of the Iranian revolution. Many candidates were able to put the context of the Palestinian question clearly into the rise of Islamic fundamentalism with reference to the responses to the failures of the 1967 war, the refugee situation in the Lebanon and the role of religion in Palestinian politics. The best responses were able to give a balanced response integrating a variety of factors and coming to an overall evaluation.

40 38 F7 From Second Reich to Third Reich: Germany, This was the most popular topic for those centres choosing Option F. Some of the best overall responses were to be found in this topic with clear understanding and substantial relevant supporting evidence. However, disappointingly, many candidates wrote generalised answers displaying poor chronological awareness and deploying inaccurate or insecure supporting evidence. Question 13 The question focused on the extent of economic and political stability in Germany in the years The best candidates were able to offer an answer which related well to the focus of the question giving precise and accurate examples of the extent of political and economic stability with reference to the fragility of the golden years and the idea that Germany was dancing on a volcano. Most candidates were able to explain what happened under Stresemann to stabilise the economy and many compared this to the pre 1923 economy. Candidates were less secure on political stability and many did not reference any events that happened within Germany (increase in votes for pro Weimar parties etc) and chose to focus on international relations. There were also many candidates whose chronological understanding was not secure and they focused on events that were not relevant to the question. At this level, there were also many candidates who were able to offer only limited basic supporting detail. Examiner Comments Below is a L5 answer. Although the written communication lacks cogency at times, the response is a balanced discussion of the key issues, focused securely on the period and with well selected supporting evidence.

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46 44 Examiner Comments Below is a L3 answer. The response attempts analysis and shows some understanding of the key issues during the period but is imbalanced in the discussion of 1929 and has weak supporting evidence.

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49 47 Question 14 The question focused on the extent to which Nazi policy toward the Jewish population changed during the years Most candidates showed a broad chronological understanding of the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany and there was a clear focus on the intensification of persecution under the Nazis. Many also used the Berlin Olympics as an example of how persecution was not constantly increasing in intensity. The better candidates also explored elements of continuity and some were even able to assess reasons for this using structuralist and intentionalist historiography. There were however many answers which gave a narrative overview of the period with little or no reference to the question set and/or weak chronological awareness. Many candidates had problems placing the Night of Broken Glass in 1938 which led to insecure analysis of change over time. Grade Boundaries 6HI01 E Grade Max. Mark A B C D E 6HI01 E grade boundaries UMS HI01 F Grade Max. Mark A B C D E 6HI01 F grade boundaries UMS

50 Further copies of this publication are available from Edexcel Publications, Adamsway, Mansfield, Notts, NG18 4FN Telephone Fax Order Code US June 2009 For more information on Edexcel qualifications, please visit Edexcel Limited. Registered in England and Wales no Registered Office: One90 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7BH